tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post9216686070828619696..comments2024-03-27T10:02:56.747-04:00Comments on Fiction University: Crossing Words Off Your List: Making the Most of Editing "What Not to Use" ListsJanice Hardyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-67126405368814995502014-12-08T11:16:49.227-05:002014-12-08T11:16:49.227-05:00There's a lot of technical skill in writing, b...There's a lot of technical skill in writing, but there's also the art and craft of it. A writer's ear is one of her best tools :)Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-46954095409905359302014-12-08T11:15:31.580-05:002014-12-08T11:15:31.580-05:00Exactly. It works much better when we know why we&...Exactly. It works much better when we know why we're making a change.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-46893563758677647502014-12-07T13:04:31.591-05:002014-12-07T13:04:31.591-05:00I have a long list of crutch words that I search f...I have a long list of crutch words that I search for in later drafts. You're right, though. If we were to cut each one out, it would actually harm the story. Julie Musilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02150454913885915017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-5667723307804600322014-12-05T14:40:42.426-05:002014-12-05T14:40:42.426-05:00Excellent post as always. I do think a lot can be ...Excellent post as always. I do think a lot can be improved by cutting, but as you make so clear, it has to be thoughtful cutting and not just a knee-jerk response to a rule. Elizabeth Varadan, Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01708206753256682635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-77522074381756553912012-05-17T16:44:43.805-04:002012-05-17T16:44:43.805-04:00Elizabeth, most welcome, as always :)
Chris, grea...Elizabeth, most welcome, as always :)<br /><br />Chris, great example. Sometimes you do want a filler word because it sets a certain tone. Cutting it kills the flavor.<br /><br />MK, totally :) The things we writers do to those poor sentences sometimes. <br /><br />Linda, good tip! I never thought of using macros before. <br /><br />Donna, LOL, all of those are on my list too :)<br /><br />Sarah, just is one of my biggies, too. That and still.Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-32874226946291033752012-05-17T09:41:00.658-04:002012-05-17T09:41:00.658-04:00I actually have a digital post-it note on my deskt...I actually have a digital post-it note on my desktop with a list of words much like the one you have at the top. "Just" is a huge crutch word for me so I always do a ctrl+f search for it when I write something!Sarah Nicolashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11006982668067292031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-56626986421187436892012-05-17T08:33:33.936-04:002012-05-17T08:33:33.936-04:00I check "that" I don't overuse the w...I check "that" I don't overuse the word "that," "and then" after "that" I check to make sure I don't use the words "and then" together.<br /><br />DonnaDonna Volkenannthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04540727800410234483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-72250989807520584322012-05-17T05:59:19.397-04:002012-05-17T05:59:19.397-04:00I have a list of words I CHECK for -- I searched t...I have a list of words I CHECK for -- I searched the internet and found a list. I picked ones that I knew I did use and ignored ones that I didn't, because most of them were focused on business writing. Then I populated a macro in Word to highlight them. Run the macro and it's a simple matter to do a fast few and see which ones aren't needed. Some come out, some stay in, and sometimes sentences get revised.Linda Maye Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07203020058437093901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-17958562127675737962012-05-17T00:32:17.616-04:002012-05-17T00:32:17.616-04:00Amen! I have a word list I use. Often, the senten...Amen! I have a word list I use. Often, the sentences it points me to are flabby and convoluted. And sometimes "was" is the best word for the job -- and trying to get rid of it kills clarity and makes a monster of a sentence.MKHutchinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07715686902529938959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-51699766534711248932012-05-16T17:32:31.833-04:002012-05-16T17:32:31.833-04:00Excellent point. In my Haunted series, I have a 13...Excellent point. In my Haunted series, I have a 13-year-old boy as the first-person narrator. Once in a while he uses "kind of" -- like something is "kind of cool." I try not to overuse that, but I think it helps capture his trying-to-be-casual voice. If I tighten things too much, he wouldn't feel as real.Kris Bockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16217265282250089583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-17089971129394849082012-05-16T16:43:53.603-04:002012-05-16T16:43:53.603-04:00I am so studying all of your advice - thank you!! ...I am so studying all of your advice - thank you!! :) eElizabeth O Dulembahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07255495706124193452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-11850373105937876792012-05-16T14:42:30.812-04:002012-05-16T14:42:30.812-04:00Natalie, 10K words! Awesome :) It takes time to go...Natalie, 10K words! Awesome :) It takes time to go through them but it does help tighten the prose. <br /><br />Jaleh, I like that, overused words. Nice way of looking at it. Keeps it in perspective. <br /><br />Cathy, LOL. Just and but are also on my list to check. I overuse a lot myself. <br /><br />LD, I know, and they're very useful in the right places. Poor little adverbs :(<br /><br />CiTrader, oh goodness, I've been guilty of that early on myself. A good reminder that it's not always about the rules :)<br /><br />LinWash, sounds like you have a gem of an ad visor there. Lazy words are fine for a first draft, as long as you remember to go back and fix them ;) <br /><br />Bluestocking, indeed, and that was the point. There's a lot of latitude in writing. <br /><br />Carol, exactly. I can see why the "rules" are out there, but there's come a point when you need to stop following the rules and start trusting your writer instincts.<br /><br />Writer Librarian, most welcome! If it sounds better to you to eliminate them them by all means do it, but if not, stick to your guns and trust yourself :)Janice Hardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02356672149097741248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-68321660838549717842012-05-16T14:14:54.436-04:002012-05-16T14:14:54.436-04:00This is excellent for me since I tend to be too mu...This is excellent for me since I tend to be too much of a rule follower when it comes to eliminating these no-no words, which sometimes waters down my writing. I'll take more care in which words I choose to eliminate--and remember that rules always have exceptions. Thanks, Janice!The Writer Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05532839053876490957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-89341019156574066662012-05-16T14:14:39.661-04:002012-05-16T14:14:39.661-04:00This is excellent for me since I tend to be too mu...This is excellent for me since I tend to be too much of a rule follower when it comes to eliminating these no-no words, which sometimes waters down my writing. I'll take more care in which words I choose to eliminate--and remember that rules always have exceptions. Thanks, Janice!The Writer Librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05532839053876490957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-22847850059307922792012-05-16T14:00:48.209-04:002012-05-16T14:00:48.209-04:00Heheheee, words "hanging out with the bad cro...Heheheee, words "hanging out with the bad crowd." Love it. This post is so true! Passive writing and those "was" and "were" verbs especially--sometimes they are necessary and useful. They aren't inherently BAD. It's just that writers use them too much, and cause weak passages where the passage should be stronger. Balance is key!Carol Riggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14092209912983783974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-50615761886199256142012-05-16T13:39:52.423-04:002012-05-16T13:39:52.423-04:00I think this just reinforces the fact that beyond ...I think this just reinforces the fact that beyond some basic formatting rules, nothing else about the writing process is prescriptive. What rules we have are guidelines, and must always be considered (or not) within the larger context of the story.Bluestockinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01225973854788421827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-73844935198887608862012-05-16T12:18:25.342-04:002012-05-16T12:18:25.342-04:00Once again, it's almost as if you're readi...Once again, it's almost as if you're reading my journal and know my problem areas! My advisor keeps circling words in my manuscript. My pet words are "look," "suddenly," "just"--words I overuse. Also she circles words that are emotional shortcuts (when I use "she was angry" instead of taking the time to describe her emotion). She knows when I'm being lazy.LinWashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13041832821260168483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-22073881671298880952012-05-16T09:27:39.526-04:002012-05-16T09:27:39.526-04:00Good reminder, Janice, that writing rules are not ...Good reminder, Janice, that writing rules are not etched in stone. When I first started giving and receiving critiques in an online critique group, I assumed all the critiquers were experts and began blindly following their advice to get rid of all "to be" verbs, replace "ing" verbs with "ed" verbs, and such.<br /><br />But after a while, I started reading my corrected submissions and noticed they didn't read the way I intended them to read, because I had made a change for the worse by using all the critters' suggestions.<br /><br />Now I'm down to only using about half of what my critters suggest, hopefully only their "good" suggestions. <br /><br />I still have my proofreading checklist, and it gets bigger as I find more weak words to search and replace, but I only use it to make sure I've written the best story I can write.ChiTraderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08156118145545539641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-40702480737510742372012-05-16T09:20:11.440-04:002012-05-16T09:20:11.440-04:00I'm probably guilty of overusing "was&qu...I'm probably guilty of overusing "was" but I'm becoming adverb-phobic. Everyone treats the -ly words like the kiss of death.LD Mastersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01202135756299574972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-26785256490112014522012-05-16T08:58:13.729-04:002012-05-16T08:58:13.729-04:00Definitely just. I can't get enough of just. I...Definitely just. I can't get enough of just. I just love it.<br /><br />Oh, and but. But I'm getting better about but.<br /><br />(I'll use the find and replace function and go through 30 pages or so at a time, weeding out my go-to words. Most of the time, I don't need just and but and will rewrite and make a better, tighter sentence. But sometimes, I indulge myself and leave just in--'cause sometimes, it's just the perfect word.)Cathy C. Hallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16491874468936336577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-84059774592839859172012-05-16T07:46:52.746-04:002012-05-16T07:46:52.746-04:00I consider those lists as reminders for top overus...I consider those lists as reminders for top overused words, not words I shouldn't use. Just is one my hot words. I use it all over the place, but then when I'm looking back over a passage, I figure where the best places for it are and cut out the rest. Was is my go-to word for getting information down in the first draft, so when I'm going back over it, I'm not eliminating was for overuse, I'm eliminating it because I'm trying to work that info in better. It's not an overused word in my head; it's a placeholder word in most cases. Same effect but slightly different mindset from the way I go about getting rid of just and other overused words.Jaleh Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02467289924719654371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901370917824739259.post-6348490664576951422012-05-16T07:25:53.138-04:002012-05-16T07:25:53.138-04:00Great points Janice. As always. I use your redunda...Great points Janice. As always. I use your redundant word list all the time to weed out those passive words. But sometimes you have to use "was" and similar words. Authors do use them. So I don't fret if I'm ridding myself of most of them.<br /><br />And that list of yours helped me cut 10,000 words in one of my manuscript revisions to cut words. Thanks!Natalie Aguirrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03756087804171246660noreply@blogger.com